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June 4, 1963
3,092,326
J. HOHLA
TRACK SUPPORT
Filed Nov. 30, 1961
2 Sheets-Sheet 1
FlG.1
FIG.3
JOHANNES HOHLA
INVENTOR.
FIG.2
BY
7a»
AGENT
3,ti92,32§
f
United States Patent
1C@
Patented June 4, 1963’
2
1
ture embodying a yieldable coupling according to the in
3,092,326
vention;
TRACK SUPPORT
Johannes Hohla, Moorenstrasse 24, Essen, Germany
Filed l. T0v. 39, 1961, Ser- No. 155,983
Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 2, 1960
8 Claims. (Cl. 238-119)
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the
line II—II of FIG. 1;
5
The present invention relates to a system for support
ing generally horizontal beams, rails and other elastically
deformable members used as tracks for rolling or other 10
wise movable loads, particularly in elevated or suspended
track structures for traveling cranes.
Most elevated or suspended track structures are rigidly
fastened to their supports so that, whenever a load passes
over or below a support, the latter must bear the entire
weight thereof. This necessitates dimensioning each
support for the maximum load and requires massive
structures with high buckling resistance, thereby ruling
out slender columns or thin suspension rods in many
instances.
The general object of my invention is to provide a track
mounting system that will at all times distribute the
weight of the load over a number of supports, thus permit
FIG. 3 is a sectional detail view of a modified coupling
adapted to be used with the system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a side view of a suspended track structure
according to the invention forming part of an overhead
transportation system;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a spring
coupling taken on the line V-—V of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating a modi
?ed spring coupling; and
FIG. 7 is a graph representing the spring character
istics of the couplings of FIGS. 3, 5 and 6.
The structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. consists basical
ly of a continuous beam 1 bearing a track 40, and a
series of supporting columns 2 which are joined to the
beam 1 at longitudinally spaced locations by couplings 3.
The couplings are yieldable and permit {the beam 1 to be
de?ected downwardly with respect to support 2 upon
the approach of a load, e.g. a rolling crane, indicated by
the vertical arrow L. Thus the load L, as it travels along
the track, will at any location be borne by more than one
ting the use of smaller, lighter, less expensive structures.
A more particular object of this invention is to provide 25 support.
FIG. 2 shows that the coupling 3 consists essentially of
an improved track support for rolling loads, such as over
a vertically movable piston 9 and a bearing plate 9a, the
head trucks or cranes, adapted to be used in industrial
piston being received in a cylinder 10 having a base plate
installations.
10a. The bottom of cylinder 10 is joined via a branch
The principal feature of my invention is the provision
of a yieldable coupling between a generally horizontal 30 pipe 12 to a hydraulic line 4 which, as shown in FIG. 1,
may be connected in parallel to a group of couplings on
track member and each of its supports whereby the latter
successive supports. The base plate 10a is secured to
will allow a limited downward de?ection under load, with
column 2 by anchor bolts 13. Stiffening ?ns 14 distribute
resulting distribution of the weight of the load over a
the load over the base plate when the piston 9 is at its
plurality of neighboring supports.
The yieldable coupling may incorporate a variety of 35 lower limit of travel. The stroke of the piston is deter
mined by an inner ring 8 and an outer ring 11 adjustably
means including, for example, resilient, pneumatic and/ or
screwed onto the outer surfaces of piston 9- and cylinder
hydraulic balancing elements. Weights, i.e. the force of
19, respectively, ring 8 having a ?anged end 8’ which
gravity, can also be utilized, e.g. for the purpose of pro_
coacts with the top of cylinder 10 at the lower end and
viding a counteracting or balancing force which is sub
stantially independent of load pressure; in accordance with 40 with a similar ?ange 11' of ring 11 at the upper end of the
a speci?c feature of the invention, however, a counter
acting force varying substantially proportionally with load
pressure can be produced by partially or completely im~
mersing a counterweight body in a liquid whereby, upon a
piston stroke.
A hydraulic ?uid (e.g. oil) from line 4 tends to main
tain the piston 9 in its uppermost position, as de?ned
by the positive interengagement ‘of ?anges 8' and 11', in
progressive lifting of this body above the liquid level, its 45 which the unloaded or only moderately loaded beam 1
is substantially unde?ected as it rests on the supports
effective weight will increase.
In general it will be desirable to limit the stroke of the
yieldable coupling so that a load exceeding a certain
weight, upon approaching or passing a support, will bear
directly on the latter. Even so, however, the weight of the
load will be only partly absorbed by that particular support
2 shown in FIG. 1. The pressure required to sustain the
dead weight of the track, and preferably also a part of
its live load, in this normal position is derived in the
system of ‘FIG. 1 from a master cylinder 5 to which the
line 4 is connected by a branch 41 and which has a
piston 42 coupled via a rod 43 with a pneumatic cushion
constituted by a sealed air bag 44 in a cylinder 6. The
air in :bag 4-4 may be under su?icient initial compres
while the remainder of the weight will be carried by
adjacent supports. In many instances it will, therefore,
be advantageous to design each support so that it will be
sion to bias the pistons 9 of the associated couplings 3
able to sustain a substantial fraction, e.g. one-half, of the 55
into their top positions with a force equal to a threshold
expected maximum load and to bias the coupling in such
value of approximately one-half the maximum load pres
manner that it will yield to downward pressure only if
sure; when a load of a weight exceeding this threshold
the same exceeds a value close to that fraction; when
value approaches a column 2, its piston 9 is lowered with
yielding commences, the support under consideration will
only a slight increase in the air pressure of the suitably
be under a pressure which increases only slightly, if at all,
proportioned pneumatic bag 44 so that no appreciable
above the value of the biasing force as the weight of the
further loading of the column will ocur. The remainder
load is distributed between this support and its neighbors.
of the load pressure is then absorbed by the two neigh
The term “support,” as applied to the present inven
boring columns, each of which thus receives less than the
tion, is intended to embrace both compression elements 65 rated value of half the maximum weight even with peak
below the track, such as bearing columns or blocks, and
loads.
In FIG. 3 the branch 41’ of hydraulic line 4’ opens
tension elements above the track, such as suspension rods.
into a hydraulic cylinder 5' whose piston 42' is articu
The above and other objects and features of my inven
lated, with suitable play, to a lever 16 having a ?xed ful
tion will become more fully apparent from the following
detailed description, reference being made to the accom 70 crum 15. The free end of lever 16 is articulated to a
rod 45 which is hinged to a cylindrical body 18 containing
panying drawing in which:
a weight 17. The weighted body 18 is partly immersed
FIG. 1 is a side view of a column-supported track struc
3,092,326
3
4
in a liquid 25}, e.g. oil or water, within a vessel 19 so
load more evenly onto adjacent supports. At P0 there
is indicated the initial spring bias due to the clamping
force of nut 28, which determines the threshold value
that the weight of that body is reduced by the weight
of the displaced liquid; in a limiting case the effective
weight of this body may be zero in its illustrated bot
tom position. As the beam 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is de
at which this de?ection will commence.
In the case of
?ected under load, the hydraulic pressure communicated
spring 21 this bias requires a relatively large precom
pression E0, whereas in the case of spring assembly 21'
to cylinder 5’ raises the lever 16, as illustrated in dot-dash
lines, so that body 18 with its ballast :17 is partly lifted
out of the liquid 20 and its weight increases. Since the
the precompression has only a small value E0’ as the
curve 34 rises rapidly toward its linear and nearly hori
deflection of the beam under load will be substantially
proportional to the downward pressure of the load, pur
suant to Hooke’s law, and since the rise of body 18 will
be commensurate with this deflection in view of the hy
draulic coupling, the increase in the countervailing force
applied to lever 16 by that body will be proportional to 15
the de?ection stress. In this case, therefore, the bias ex
zontal portion close to the level Pm,,X/ 2; the suspended
rail will, therefore, undergo only a slight initial de?ection
with eifective load pressure less than PmaX/Z so that,
within the range represented by the steeply ascending
branch of curve 34,the structure will behave almost
as a conventional crane track with substantially non
yielding suspension rods.
_ ‘
,
For comparison, I have also shown in FIG. 7 a curve
erted upon the coupling cylinder 9 (FIG. 2) by the body
35 representing the countervailing force exerted by the
18 in its normal immersed position should ‘be substan
weighted body 18 of FIG. 3; the slope of the initial
tially less than the aforementioned threshold value of
portion of this curve will depend upon the relative vol
one-half the maximum load weight, the latter value being 20 umes of body 18 and vessel 19, the combined weight
preferably attained when the body 13 is lifted completely
of body 18 and ballast 17 being so selected as to exert
out of the liquid; owing to the relatively small volume
upon the piston 9 a balancing force equaling Pm?X/Z.
of vessel 19, the liquid therein will drop rapidly upon
It will be seen that, under these conditions, the curves
the lifting body 18 so that the balancing force of the
34 and 35 are generally similar to each other.
coupling'will rise sharply from its minimum to its maxi 25
My invention is, of course, not limited to the speci?c
mum with only a minor initial ‘de?ection of the sup
embodiments described and illustrated but maybe real
ported rail. If the vessel 19 with its liquid 29 were
ized in a variety of modi?cations, readily apparent, to
omitted, the balancing force would be substantially con
persons skilled in the art, without departing from the
stant 'within a small range of pivotal motion of lever
spirit and scope of the appended claims, Thus, for ex
16. The cylinder 5' may be individual to a single col
ample, the hydraulic liquid in line 4, 12, 43 of FIG. .1
umn 2 or common to a plurality thereof, the same as
could be replaced in its entirety by a pneumatic ?uid
‘ the cylinder 5 of FIG. 1.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS.
4 and 5 the coupling elements are of the resilient type.
As shown in FIG. 4, a beam 161 is suspended :by a series
of hangers each including a rod 102 and a rod 102a re
siliently interconnected by a spring assembly 22. These
hangers depend from ‘the rafters 24 of a shed-type fac
tory roof 23. The'continuous beam 101, which serves
(with omission of bag 44), or the pneumatic cylinder 6
could be substituted by a weight such as the body 18 of
FIG. 3.
I claim:
1. A track structure for a substantially horizontally
displaceable load, comprising a substantially horizontal
track-forming beam member, a plurality of substantially '
?xed supports spacedly positioned along said member,
as a guide rail tor a crane or overhead transporter not 40 and a coupling individually joining each of said supports
shown, is directly attached to the lowerrods 162a with
limited horizontal mobility. As shown in FIG. 5, the
upper rod 1132 is connected by a threaded sleeve 103 to
a bolt 28 which passes through an end plate 31} of a spring
housing 32; a coil spring 21 is compressed between plate
30 and an anchor plate 31 which restson the head 28a
to said member; said coupling including a ?rst part
fastened to the respective support, a second part verti
cally' movable relatively to said ?rst part and fastened to
said member, and balancing means including a counter
weightnormally. maintaining said second part in an ele
vated position relative to said ?rst part while being yield
of bolt 28. The lower end plate 27 of housing 32 is
able to a downward force equal to a fraction of the
rigidly joined, e.g. by welding, to the lower rod 102a.
maximum downward stress exertable by said load upon
A nut 29, bearing upon end plate 30, engages the bolt
said second part, said ?rst and second parts being pro
28 and enables adjustment of the initial compression of 50 vided with co-operating formations positively limiting
spring 21. This precompression is advantageously so se
their relative displacement under the force of said
lected as to correspond, again, to a substantial fraction of
counterweight in said elevated position of said second
the maximum load pressure, e.g.,one-half of that pressure.
part.
Thus, no relative displacement between rods 102 and
2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said bal
102a will ocur until the preadjusted bias of spring 21 55 ancing means exerts a biasing force substantially. less 7
is overcome, the system of FIG. 4 behaving up to‘ that.
than said maximum downward stress upon said second"
point like any conventional rail structure with non-yield
part in said elevated position.
ing supports.
a
3. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said bal
In the modi?cation of FIG. '6,‘ the, single coil spring
ancing means further comprises a container for a liquid
21 of_FIG. 5 has been replaced by a stack of dished
having said counterweight at least partially immersed
springs 21'. The coupling 22' embodying this spring 60 therein inithe unloaded condition of said coupling, said‘
assembly is otherwise analogous to coupling 22.
counterweight being so linked with said second part as
Reference is now made to the graph of FIG. 7 for an
to be progressively lifted out of said liquid with increas
illustration of the resilient characteristics of the coil
ing depression of said second part.
spring 21 and the spring assembly 21' represented re
4. A structure according to claim 3 wherein said con
spectively by curves 33 and 34.‘ The values along .the
tainer is a vessel surrounding saidcounterweight with
ordinate represent the load pressure P whereas those
.small clearance whereby the level of said liquid drops
along the abscissa are the elongation E of the coupling a
rapidly upon a lifting of said counterweight from said
as determined by a compression of its spring or springs.
The characteristic 33 of spring 21 is substantially linear, 70
5. A structure according torclaim 1 wherein said ?rst
within the range contemplated, and of very low slope,
and second parts are provided with co-operating forma
is. .the spring has a low coefficient of elasticity or still
tions positively limiting their relative displacement against
ness C=P/E so that any increase in'pressure in the vi
the force of said balancing means in a relatively lowered
cinity of the value Pmx/ 2 vwill cause a large additional
position of saidsecond part.
' '
V
de?ection of the suspended rail, thus distributing the 75 6. Attack structure for a substantially horizontally
vessel.
1
'
3,092,826
5
displaceable load, comprising a substantially horizontal
track-forming beam member resiliently de?ectable under
said load in a substantially vertical plane, a plurality of
substantially ?xed supports spacedly positioned along
said beam member, and a coupling individually joining
each of said supports to said member, each of said cou
6
displaceable load, comprising a substantially horizontal
track-forming beam member resiliently de?ectable under
said load in a substantially vertical plane, a plurality of
substantially ?xed supports spacedly positioned along
said beam member, a coupling individually joining each
of said supports to said member, each of said couplings
including a ?rst part fastened to the respective support
plings including a ?rst part fastened to the respective
and a second part movable relatively to said ?rst part and
support and a second part movable relatively to said ?rst
fastened to said member, said parts de?ning between
part and fastened to said member, said parts de?ning
them a chamber of variable volume containing a ?uid
etween them a chamber of variable volume containing
permitting restricted downward displacement of said sec
a ?uid permitting restricted downward displacement of
ond part under the force of said load, conduit means‘
said second part under the force of said load.
interconnecting said chambers in parallel to e?ect a dis
7. A track structure for a substantially horizontally
tribution of the downward force of said load to supports
displaceable load, comprising a substantially horizontal
track-forming beam member resiliently de?ectable under 15 remote from said load upon downward displacement of
one of said second parts in the region of said load, and
said load in a substantially vertical plane, a plurality of
balancing means operatively coupled with said conduit
substantially ?xed supports spacedly positioned along
means for compensatingly increasing the pressure in
said beam member, a coupling individually joining each
said chambers upon downward displacement of said sec
of said supports to said member, each of said couplings
including a ?rst part fastened to the respective support 20 ond parts.
and a second part movable relatively to said ?rst part
and fastened to said member, said parts de?ning betweenl
them a chamber of variable volume containing a ?uid
permitting restricted downward displacement of said sec-'
ond part under the force of said load, and conduit means 25
interconnecting said chambers in parallel to e?ect a dis
tribution of the downward force of said load to supports
remote from said load upon downward displacement of
one of said second parts in the region of said load.
8. A track structure for a substantially horizontally 30
References Cited in the ?le of this patent
UNITED STATES PATENTS
688,522
Horner _____________ __ Dec. 10, 1901
1,109,862
Myers _______________ __ Sept. 8, 1914
1,845,912
Gilbert ______________ __ Feb. 16, 1932
2,432,717
Berger ______________ __ Dec. 16, 1947
382,698
Great Britain __________ __ Nov. 3, 1932
FOREIGN PATENTS